An old blog I wrote for another website two years ago. Enjoy.
Now, to today's topic. Before I begin, I should thank three books. They are called Life of Pi, Hogfather, and Small Gods. They have shaped my current ideals of religion and they are incredibly beautiful pieces of writing. I recommend them.
Gods need belief. Do people?Without belief gods will cease to exist. Who would know about Krishna if Hindus did not preach? Who would know of the sacrifices of a man who died for the sins of his people 2000 years ago? Nobody, that's who. Jesus would get no worship, Kali's altars would be empty of offerings, and Buddha wouldn't lead others on the path of spiritual enlightenment. So it is clear that gods need belief to sustain them, like millions of tons of rocket fuel powering them into the heavens.But people, ah, they are different. Mortal man is a fickle, sinful little monster, tempted by devils and demons constantly. But do we need belief? Organised religion aside, everyone believes something. Go ahead, think about it. What do you believe? That the sun will come up tomorrow? That dogs lay eggs? That cows are more intelligent than people think? That you are the fifth reincarnation of the prophet Harasmismakesh? Everyone has some form of belief, from the highest sultan to the lowest begger. So belief is an essential part of humanity. Wouldn't you agree?
But religion, that is far different. Religion is the surrendering of the most important and sacred part of your body, i.e your soul, to a higher power. It is placing your very existence in the hands of something different, in the solid and firm belief that this is the right thing to do. It is faith, and sacrifice, and the only difficulty is choosing which religion to follow. The band Switchfoot said "I'm not sure which way to go, because all along we're going in the same direction,". Mahatma Gandi said, "All religions are true". Pi Patel said, "I just want to love God". The most important people in history have been either scientists or religious figures, and it is clear which is the better person. Religion launches your soul to heaven before you even get there, fires you upward endlessly until you reach paradise. Religion is one of the glories of humanity, and it is beautiful.
My only regret is that I am shut-in, by the truths of humanity. Beautiful religion may be, but humanity is ugly to the core, as a whole. I sadly lack the capabilities to surrender myself to God, and as such, my soul rages within its mortal confines, unable to free itself and ascend. Such a shame.
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3 comments:
Not a bad spiel on religion, although I would point out one minor detail - my understanding is that Buddha is not a god, nor does he require that you walk his path to spiritual enlightenment.
Rather Buddhists seek to find their own paths to enlightenment - worship not required. In fact, unless the Simpsons have lied to me (specifically, She of Little Faith, the episode where Lisa becomes a Buddhist, guest starring Richard Gere) you may carry on worshipping your own god(s) while finding your own path to enlightenment.
$0.02 added.
I wrote it when I was 14, so my Simpsons knowledge should have been up to date! Shame on me!
But noted. I think I was going for a wide range to prove my point.
Can't recall. :\
Although not a trekie I've always found the most hope for a brilliant future in something Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Piccard) stated Gene Roddenberry had once said about the character in prompt to the question,
"hat in the (insert year) surely they would've cured baldness". To which he responded that "they would've have cared".
The idea here is an important one, Roddenberry's vision of the future was one in which religion was dead, and people no longer believed in gods, however not in science either, but in adultrilism (possible a misspelling, but one who thinks of a collective over an individual).
It raises two key points.
That being one who thinks of a collective first is in opposition of a god.
That religion has a truth based in holding yourself up to judgment by another.
We always in some regard hold ourselves up to be judged, first by our parents, then by those we fall in love with. In the case of most, these people we can find and see flaws in, which leads to the thought, on a sub-level. That if they are flawed, how can their judgments of us be truths? Therefor the need for a higher existence is required. Voltaire said that, "If There Were No God, It Would Be Necessary To Invent Him." The truth of matters perhaps is a god may never have existed till we did.
Dickens said once that the "fear of god builds men" and "fear of men ends them".
Many of us lack the ability to exist independent of judgment and without the ego to require it from a source other worldly so a god is invented.
(Buddhists seek to follow a contrived path the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path to uncover impermanence, suffering and non-self and thus emptiness and true enlightenment. It is a spiritual belief, and thus on many of the same levels as a religion, however self regulated and without a wholesome deity as Buddha is followed by most as a man, and viewed by those smaller as a god. (Similar to the views of the Imperial Guard compared to Space Marines about the Emperor. Yes I couldn't think of a better example but it works I think)
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